AU766616B2 - Continuous riveter - Google Patents

Description

1

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 Opt Engineering Co., Ltd.

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: Continuous riveter The following statement is a full description of this invention including the best method of performing it known to us:- CONTINUOUS RIVETER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a continuous riveter for continuously ejecting blind rivets that effect the caulking on metal plates and the like (The blind rivet will be hereinafter referred simply as a rivet.).

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a continuous riveter is proposed by the S" inventors of the present invention as shown in Figs. 10 to 25. This continuous riveter is composed of a body D, a drive section E, a rivet feed section F and a valve section G. Figs. 10 and 11 show a state where a push button of a trigger valve is released and Figs.

oooo• *12 to 17 show a state where the push button of the trigger valve is depressed.

The drive section E has an oil cylinder 1 having a small diameter and branched laterally from the body D and an air cylinder 3 having a large diameter for driving an oil piston 2 of this oil cylinder 1.

The oil piston 2 that is a piston rod is formed integrally with a piston 7 installed within the above-mentioned air cylinder 3.

I 'I The above-mentioned oil cylinder 1 communicates with a chuck cylinder 8 through a hole 18 communicating with an oil chamber 16 which is a space defined between a nose piston 28 and a jaw case piston 20 within the chuck cylinder 8.

P2 designates a second port which communicates with one port f on the outlet side of an operating valve 53 (Fig. 11) for feeding compressed air to a piston front chamber 4 of the above-mentioned air cylinder 3, a vacuum ejector 12 and an air chamber 15 (Fig.

14) defined between the above-mentioned nose piston 28 and a rod Ib cover 17.

P1 designates a first port which communicates with the other port e on the outlet side of the operating valve 53 described later, for feeding compressed air to a rear chamber 5(Fig. 12) which is *o oo at a piston rear portion position of the air cylinder 3.

1 P3 designates a third port for feeding compressed air of the ooeeo S* rear chamber 5 of the above-mentioned air cylinder 3 to a pilot eeoo air circuit Y of the operating valve 53 at a front position (Fig.

12) of the piston 7.

A container case 47 of the rivet feed section F is fixed by pins 27 to a lower end of the above-mentioned air cylinder 3.

In the body D, the chuck cylinder 8 is formed integrally with and substantially perpendicular to the above-mentioned oil cylinder 1, a core shaft container case 9 in which divided core shafts R1 of blind rivets R are received is mounted on an upper portion thereof, 11 I, and the rivet feed portion F is mounted on the outside of the lower portion thereof.

The vacuum ejector 12 for evacuating the interior of the core shaft container case 9 is mounted at the top end of the abovementioned core shaft container case 9.

The rod cover 17 is mounted at the lower end of the above-mentioned chuck cylinder 8, and the jaw case piston 20 is disposed in the interior thereof. The jaw case piston 20 is a cup-shaped piston opened at its upper end and mounted to define o an air chamber 14 of the upper portion and an oil chamber 16 of the lower portion.

A lower portion of the above-mentioned jaw case piston 20 is a jaw case 21 fixed to a lower end of the above-mentioned cup- *e shaped piston. A taper surface 22 that has a smaller diameter toward the tip end is formed at the tip end inner surface of the above-mentioned jaw case 21. A pair of jaws 25 is slidably inserted into this taper surface 22.

Then, each jaw 25, 25 is biased downwardly through a jaw pusher 24 having a sharp tip by a spring 23 received within the jaw case 21.

A core shaft collecting pipe 13 is inserted into the jaw case 21. The upper portion of the core shaft collecting pipe is inserted through a bottom plate of the above-mentioned core shaft container case 9 and disposed in the container case 9.

The nose piston 28 is disposed below the above-mentioned jaw case piston 20 to define an oil chamber 16 of the upper portion and an air chamber 15 of the lower portion. A sleeve 29 formed at the lower end of the above-mentioned nose piston 28 is inserted slidably into the rod cover 17 at the lower end of the abovementioned chuck cylinder 8 and projects to the outside of the cylinder 8 with a nose piece 32 mounted at the lower end of the above-mentioned sleeve 29.

Note that under the state shown in Figs. 10, 14, 15 and 16, o the tip end of the jaw case 21 is brought into contact with a lower wall 30 (Fig. 19) of the sleeve 29 and the tip ends of the jaws are brought into contact with the nose piece 32 projecting from the lower wall 30 in the form of a V-shape, respectively.

A hole through which the core shaft R1 of the rivet R is formed in the above-mentioned nose piece 32. An elastic ring 33(Figs. 19 and 23) having an elasticity is mounted at the tip end thereof so as to slidably retain the core shaft R1 with the elasticity to prevent the inserted rivet R from falling apart during the working operation.

ZO A tubular path 19 communicating with the air chamber 15 at the lower portion and the vacuum ejector 12 at the top end is provided in the side wall of the above-mentioned chuck cylinder 8. Its midway communicates with the above-mentioned second port P2.

As shown in Figs. 10, 12, 14 to 16 and 18, the rivet feed section b 'c F is provided with a container case 47 of a rivet holder T, a guide plate 43, and a tape air cylinder 37.

As shown in Fig. 18, a tape piston 39 biased in a return direction by a spring 38 is received in the above-mentioned tape air cylinder 37. At the same time, a feed claw 41 fixed to a shaft of the tape piston 39 is provided on the tape piston 39.

The above-mentioned guide plate 43 has a U-shape in cross section in conformity with the rivet holder T so as to guide the rivet holder T with an elongated hole 44 opened in its vertical S surface. The above-mentioned feed claw 41 reciprocatively projects from this elongated hole. Also, as shown in Fig. 18, a spring plate 46 for depressing and guiding the vertical portion o:eo of the rivet holder T is provided in the vertical surface of the *o guide plate 43.

1 A blind rivet holder T (hereinafter referred to as a rivet holder) is formed into an elongated member of a synthetic resin, paper or the like in the form of a U-shape in cross section as shown S in Fig. 24. Pairs of upper and lower rectangular tabs T1 and T2 are arranged at the upper and lower end portions of vertical portions ao T3 at every constant interval T6. Feed holes T4 are formed at a constant interval in the vertical portions T3. Through-holes are provided in the upper and lower tabs T1 and T2. The rivets R are inserted from below the lower tabs T2 into the through holes of the respective upper and lower tabs TI, T2. Head portions R3 are mounted in contact with the top surfaces of the lower tabs T2.

Such a rivet holder T is wound by and received in the above-mentioned container case 47 and fed out through the guide plate 43 from the tip end side: This feed is performed by the reciprocating motion by the tape piston 39 of the tape air cylinder 37 while the above-mentioned feed claw 41 is engaged with the feed hole T4 of the rivet holder T.

A valve section G is formed as shown in Figs. 11, 13 and 17.

\o Reference numeral 53 denotes an operating valve which is a two-position pilot switching valve mounted in a position of the air cylinder 3, indicated by a dash-line. Reference numeral 49 denotes a trigger valve which is mounted in a position, indicated by a dash-line, inside the portion where the oil cylinder 1 and S the chuck cylinder 8 intersect with each other, and for depressing or releasing a push button 51.

In the drawings, reference numeral 50 denotes a compressed air source such as a compressor. Ports h, o are released to the atmosphere, outlet side ports e, f of the above-mentioned operating valve 53 communicates with the above-mentioned first and second ports P1, P2 and a third port P3 communicates with a pilot air circuit Y, respectively.

Also, an outlet side port m of the above-mentioned trigger valve 49 communicates with a pilot air circuit X of the abovementioned operating valve 53 and a fourth port P4 at the top end of a chuck cylinder 8, and a port n communicates with an inlet side port g of the above-mentioned operating valve 53.

Furthermore, a fifth port P5 is provided in the abovementioned rod cover 17. The air chamber 15 communicates with a port k of the tape air cylinder 37 through a fifth port P5. When the nose piece 28 reaches the top dead center (Fig. 16), the compressed air within the air chamber 14 is fed to the tape cylinder 37 through a groove 31 of the lower portion of the sleeve 29 (Fig. 17).

The above-mentioned conventional continuous riveter will be \o operated as follows.

itNormally, when the rivet holder T is wound by and received in the container case 47 of the continuous riveter and the caulking operation is not effected, the rivet holder is kept under the state shown in Figs. 10 and 11, the push button 51 (trigger) is released, and the rivets R are elastically held to the nose piece 32 by the elastic ring 33 so that the rivets R are prevented from falling off downwardly.

When, as shown in Fig. 12, a rivet body R2 of the rivet R is o inserted into a metal plate 48, and the push button 51 is depressed, Se as shown in Fig. 13, the trigger valve 49 is moved, so that the compressed air passes from the port s to the port n and passes through the port g to the port e of the operating valve 53 to enter from the first port P1 to the rear chamber 5 of the air cylinder 3.

Accordingly, the piston 7 is advanced so that the oil piston 2 is also advanced. As a result, the oil within an oil chamber 6 is introduced into the oil chamber 16 of the chuck cylinder 8 so that the jaw case piston 20 is raised by a predetermined distance.

Accordingly, the jaw case 21 is moved upwardly.

In this case, since the pair of jaws 25 are biased downwardly by means of the spring 23 through the jaw pusher 24, the jaws are separated away from the contact of the nose piece 32 and moved downwardly in sliding contact with the taper surface 22 of the jaw 1o case 21 and are close to each other by the taper surface 22 to be moved upwardly while gripping the core shaft R1 of the rivet R.

S The caulking of the rivet R is performed by this upward movement eeee of the core shaft RI. Subsequently, since the rivet body R3 is S stopped by the tip end of the nose piece 32, the core shaft R1 is cut.

In this case, since the air chamber 15 and the front chamber 4 of the air cylinder 3 are released through the ports f and h of the operating valve 53 from the second port P2, the nose piston 28 is depressed downwardly and only the jaw case piston 20 is raised.

2 When the piston 7 is advanced as described above, the compressed air of the rear chamber 5 is fed to the pilot air circuit Y through the third port P3 and the operating valve 53 is advanced to the state shown in Fig. 19. The compressed air from the compressed air source 50 is fed to the second port P2 through the ports s, n, g and f. The compressed air of the rear chamber 5 of the air cylinder 3 is released through the ports e and h and the compressed air of the pilot air circuit X and the compressed air of the air chamber 14 are released through the ports m and o to S the atmosphere.

Accordingly, as shown in Figs. 14 to 16, the jaw case piston and the nose piston 28 are moved up to the top dead center.

In Fig. 14, the oil piston 2 is returned (naturally, the piston 7 is returned), the nose piston 28 is raised to be returned to the l position close to the cup-shaped piston, and the compressed air is inspired to the vacuum ejector 12. Accordingly, the evacuation of the interior of the core shaft container case 9 is started. Also,

S..

~the nose piston 28 is raised with respect to the jaw case piston the lower wall 30 of the sleeve 29 is brought into contact with the lower end of the jaw case 21, and the upper end of the nose piece 32 pushes the tip ends of the jaws 25 upwardly so that the jaws are released.

Fig. 15 shows a midway on which the jaw case piston 20 and the nose piston 28 are raised and the state where the core shaft i:O R1 is sucked up into the core shaft container case 9 through the core shaft collecting pipe 13.

Fig. 16 shows a state where the jaw case piston 20 and the nose piston 28 are both located in the top dead center. At this time, since the compressed air is fed from the fifth port P5 to the port K of the tape air cylinder, the tape piston 39 is advanced, the feed claw 41 is advanced along the elongated hole 44, the feed claw 41 engaged with the feed hole T4 of the rivet holder T picks up the rivet holder T from the container case 47 and moves by one pitch the rivet holder T along the guide plate 43 to set the tip end of the core shaft R1 on the axis below the nose piece 32.

Subsequently, when the push button 51 is released, the valve section G is brought into the state shown in Fig. 11 and the trigger valve 49 is returned back to the original position by the force 1o of the spring 52. As a result, the compressed air of the compressed air source 50 passes through the port m and is fed to the pilot air circuit X of the operating valve 53 so that the operating valve 53 is also retracted. At this time, the compressed air of the pilot air circuit Y passes through the ports P3 and P2 and is released to the atmosphere from the ports f and h.

55*555 "In the above-mentioned position of the valves, the compressed air passes through the ports s and m of the trigger valve 49 and is fed from the fourth port P4 to the air chamber 14. The compressed 555555 air of the air chamber 15 is released to the atmosphere through :o the ports P2, f and h and the jaw case piston 20 and the nose piston 28 are both lowered down to the bottom dead center. As a result, the core shaft R1 of the rivet R is held to the jaws 25 passing through the nose piece 32 and opened at this time, and the tip end of the nose piece 32 is lowered to bend the upper and lower tabs TI, T2 of the rivet holder T downwardly. The lowering motion of the nose piece 32 will be described in detail in conjunction with Figs. 19 to 22.

When the nose piece 32 is lowered, the feed of the compressed S air to the tape air cylinder 37 is stopped, and the compressed air of the tape air cylinder 37 is released, the tape piston 39 is moved back to the original direction by the effect of the spring 38 but since the rivet holder T is prevented from moving in the reverse direction by a reverse stop claw 45, the feed claw 41 is disengaged S from the feed hole T4 and moved by one pitch forwardly to engage with the forward feed hole T4 while the rivet holder T is being stopped.

In this case, since the rivet holder T is elastically o depressed against the guide plate 43 by means of the spring plate 46 for the guide (preventing the displacement), the rivet holder 900o00 T is positively engaged with the feed claw 41 without any positional displacement.

*set The caulking operation of the rivets T has thus been prepared.

0 0 The operation onward is the same as the operation described :2o above. The above-mentioned operation is repeated to make it possible to caulk the rivets continuously.

Figs. 19 to 22 show the lowering state of the nose piece 32.

Fig. 19 shows a state where a single rivet R has been fed. A head portion R3 of the rivet body R2 is located inside the lower tab T2.

Fig. 20 shows a state where the core shaft R1 is inserted into the nose piece 32 and the tip end of the nose piece 32 is bending the upper tab Tl.

S Fig. 21 shows a state where the nose piece is lowered, the upper tab Tl is completely bent, the core shaf t R1 is loosely f itted with the jaws 25 through the nose piece 32 and the head portion R3 of the rivet R2 which is in contact with the tip end of the nose piece 32 somewhat bends the lower tab T2. Since the proximal end \0 of the lower tab T2 is supported to the guide plate 43, the rivet R is inserted completely into the nose piece 32 up to the head portion R3 against the resistance of the elastic ring 33 by the resistance force required to bend the lower tab T2 by the head portion R3 and foe* oo* the guide plate 43.

Fig. 22 shows a state where the rivet R is lowered down to copoo: the bottom dead center under the state where the rivet R is inserted completely into the nose piece 32. Under this state, although not 090* 0000 shown, the lower tab T2 is completely bent.

However, in the conventional continuous riveter, the elastic Wage :AO ring 33 for elastically and slidably holding the core shaft Rl of the rivet R is mounted to the rivet insertion hole 32a of the nose piece 32 (see Fig. 23). This is because, although the rivet R is inserted into the nose piece 32 for performing the first caulking operation, since there is no holder means of the rivet R, the inserted rivet R is to fall off. That is, this should be avoided.

In other words, if the jaw case 21 is raised, the rivet R is gripped by means of the pair of jaws 25 as described above and thus there is no fall-off. However, at the time the rivet is first inserted, the rivet R is kept in a free condition and the nose piece 32 is formed to have an extra room such that the rivet R may readily be inserted. As a result, the rivet falls off. In order to prevent the fall-off, the elastic ring 33 as the rivet fall-off preventing means is used to hold the rivet with the elastic force of the elastic S ring and to prevent the fall-off of the rivet R. Accordingly, the elastic ring 33 is formed of an elastic material such as a rubber, a synthetic resin or the like. However, since the rivets are used frequently, there is a disadvantage in that the holding force of the elastic ring 33 is degraded or the elastic ring 33 is cut. In oooeo 15 such a case, since it is necessary to replace the elastic rings 33, there is a problem in that the maintenance would become troublesome.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION lo A primary object of the present invention is to provide a continuous riveter for solving such problems.

Also, the rivets R are loaded in the rivet holder T, whereby the rivets are fed to the continuous riveter. In the abovementioned conventional continuous riveter, since the interval of the rivets R in the rivet holder T should be such a rivet interval that the lowering motion of the sleeve 29 is not obstructed, the loading number of the rivets R per a predetermined length to the rivet holder T is limited to be small. Accordingly, there is a S problem in that it is impossible to increase the number of the rivets R that may be received in the container case 47.

In view of such a problem, a secondary object of the present invention is to provide a continuous riveter that may decrease the rivet interval in the rivet holder T and may receive a number of io rivets R even in a small container case 47.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, according to oO*o a first aspect of the present invention, a continuous riveter is S characterized by comprising a nose piston that is slidably inserted into a cylinder and to which a sleeve extending downwardly outside .oooe: of the cylinder is fixed, and a jaw case piston that is slidably inserted into the cylinder and to which a cylindrical jaw case moving up and down within the sleeve is fixed, in which a hole is formed at a tip end of the jaw case and a taper surface decreasing in diameter S around the hole toward the tip end is formed in an inner ao circumferential surface of the hole at the tip end of the jaw case, a pair of jaws positioned on the taper surface of the jaw case and biased downwardly through a jaw pusher by a spring are slidably inserted, a core shaft of a blind rivet inserted through the nose piece or directly from the outside is gripped in or released from a hole at a lower end of the sleeve, a core shaft collecting pipe is coupled with an upper end of the jaw case, a vacuum ejector in communication with a core shaft container case or the outside of the cylinder, for working on the core shaft collecting pipe is provided so that a core shaft of the blind rivet that has been cut upon caulking is sucked through the core shaft collecting pipe and discharged, and the vacuum ejector is caused to always work while being used so that the blind rivet that has been inserted into a portion of the jaws of the jaw case from the tip end of the sleeve lo of the nose piston is held by a suction force of the vacuum ejector.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, a continuous riveter is characterized by comprising a nose piston that is slidably inserted into a cylinder and to which a sleeve extending downwardly outside of the cylinder is fixed, and a jaw •eeoc: case piston that is slidably inserted into the cylinder and to which •gee a cylindrical jaw case moving up and down within the sleeve is fixed, in which a hole is formed at a tip end of the jaw case and a taper ooooe: surface decreasing in diameter around the hole toward the tip end is formed in an inner circumferential surface of the hole at the S tip end of the jaw case, a pair of jaws positioned on the taper surface of the jaw case and biased downwardly through a jaw pusher by a spring are slidably inserted, a core shaft of a blind rivet inserted through the nose piece or directly from the outside is gripped in or released from a hole at a lower end of the sleeve, a core shaft collecting pipe is coupled with an upper end of the jaw case, a vacuum ejector in communication with a core shaft container case or the outside of the cylinder, for working on the core shaft collecting pipe is provided so that a core shaft of the S blind rivet that has been cut upon caulking is sucked through the core shaft collecting pipe and discharged, and the vacuum ejector is caused to always work while being used so that the blind rivet that has been inserted into a portion of the jaws of the jaw case from the tip end of the sleeve of the nose piston is held by a suction to force of the vacuum ejector, and characterized by further comprising a rivet feed section for guiding along a guide plate a container case in which a strip-shaped blind rivet holder on which blind rivets are mounted is wound and the blind rivet holder, the rivet feed section having a tape air cylinder for feeding one blind rivet mounted on the blind rivet holder, in which the guide plate extending from the container case of the rivet feed section has a bent portion having a vertical portion of the blind rivet holder bent at a predetermined angle through a linear feed section having a predetermined length, a pressure plate for depressing and guiding S the vertical portion of the blind rivet holder along the guide surface from the linear feed section to the bent portion of the guide plate is provided so that the blind rivet holder fed in a linear manner by means of a feed claw that is reciprocatingly moved in a linear manner by the tape air cylinder is guided and bent by the bent portion from the linear feed section by means of the pressure plate, and the sleeve of the nose piston is located on an axis of a core shaft of the blind rivet in upper and lower tabs immediately after the blind rivet holder which passed through the linear feed section of the guide plate is bent at the bent portion, with an axis of the sleeve being identified with the axis of the core shaft.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, a continuous riveter is characterized by comprising a nose piston %Q that is slidably inserted into a cylinder and to which a sleeve extending downwardly outside of the cylinder is fixed, and a jaw case piston that is slidably inserted into the cylinder and to which a cylindrical jaw case moving up and down within the sleeve is fixed, in which a nose piece is provided at a tip end of said sleeve, an is elastic ring for elastically holding a core shaft of a blind rivet slidably is mounted in a blind rivet insertion hole of the nose piece, a hole is formed at a tip end of the jaw case and a taper surface decreasing in diameter around the hole toward the tip end S. is formed in an inner circumferential surface of the hole at the 0 tip end of the jaw case, a pair of jaws positioned on the taper surface of the jaw case and biased downwardly through a jaw pusher by a spring are slidably inserted, the core shaft of the blind rivet inserted through the nose piece from the outside is gripped or released, a core shaft collecting pipe is coupled with an upper end of the jaw case, a vacuum ejector in communication with a core shaft container case or the outside of the cylinder for working on the core shaft collecting pipe is provided so that the core shaft of the blind rivet that has been cut upon caulking is sucked through S the core shaft collecting pipe and discharged, and characterized by further comprising a rivet feed section for guiding along a guide plate a container case in which a strip-shaped blind rivet holder on which blind rivets are mounted is wound and the blind rivet holder, the rivet feed section having a tape air cylinder for feeding one o blind rivet mounted on the blind rivet holder, in which the guide plate extending from the container case of the rivet feed section .oo has a bent portion having a vertical portion of the blind rivet holder bent at a predetermined angle through a linear feed section having a predetermined length, a pressure plate for depressing and guiding the vertical portion of the blind rivet holder along the guide surface from the linear feed section to the bent portion of the guide plate is provided so that the blind rivet holder fed in a linear manner by means of a feed claw that is reciprocatingly moved in a linear manner by the tape air cylinder is guided and ;o bent by the bent portion from the linear feed section by means of the pressure plate, and the sleeve of the nose piston is located on an axis of a core shaft of the blind rivet in upper and lower tabs immediately after the blind rivet holder which passed through the linear feed section of the guide plate is bent at the bent portion, with an axis of the sleeve being identified with the axis of the core shaft.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings: Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of this invention; Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram showing one embodiment of this invention, showing the overall system together with Fig. 1; to Fig. 3 is a bottom view showing another embodiment of this invention; a.

Fig. 4 is a view as viewed from the line A-A of Fig. 3; •Fig. 5 is a side elevational view showing another embodiment of this invention; tFig. 6 is a perspective view showing a guide plate portion; .e Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the use condition of the guide plate portion; 5 Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing a use condition of a next step of the guide plate portion; 1o Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing a use condition of a further next step of the guide plate portion; Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a conventional continuous riveter, showing a state where a push button mounted on the continuous riveter is released to keep a trigger valve and an operating valve in a normal position; Fig. 11 is a valve circuit diagram showing the conventional riveter, showing the overall system together with Fig. Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing the conventional S continuous riveter, showing a state where the push button mounted on the continuous riveter is depressed so that only the trigger valve is switched over; Fig. 13 is a valve circuit diagram showing the conventional riveter, showing the overall system together with Fig. 12; 0 Fig. 14 is a cross-sectional view showing the conventional continuous riveter, showing a state where the push button mounted S. on the continuous riveter is depressed so that both the trigger valve and the operating valve are switched over; Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional view showing the conventional continuous riveter, showing a state where the push button mounted on the continuous riveter is depressed so that both the trigger valve and the operating valve are switched over; Fig. 16 is a cross-sectional view showing the conventional continuous riveter, showing a state where the push button mounted S on the continuous riveter is depressed so that both the trigger valve and the operating valve are switched over; Fig. 17 is avalve circuit diagram of the state shown in Figs.

14 to 16; Fig. 18 is atransverse sectional view of arivet feed section; Fig. 19 is a partially fragmentary frontal view of the rivet feed section of the conventional continuous riveter, showing a relationship with a blind rivet holder when the nose piece is lowered; S Fig. 20 is a partially fragmentary frontal view of the rivet feed section of the conventional continuous riveter, showing a relationship with the blind rivet holder when the nose piece is lowered; Fig. 21 is a partially fragmentary frontal view of the rivet feed section of the conventional continuous riveter, showing a relationship with the blind rivet holder when the nose piece is lowered; Fig. 22 is a partially fragmentary frontal view of the rivet feed section of the conventional riveter, showing a relationship with the blind rivet holder when the nose piece is lowered; Fig. 23 is a partial longitudinal sectional view of the portion in the vicinity of the nose piece of the conventional continuous riveter; Fig. 24 is a perspective view showing one example of the blind rivet holder; and Fig. 25 is a perspective view of a blind rivet.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of a continuous riveter in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

SIn this embodiment, the tubular path 19 to the vacuum ejector 12 in the conventional riveter is removed and the direct connection from the compressed air source 50 to the vacuum ejector 12 through a tubular path 60 is attained as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The other arrangement is the same as in the conventional continuous riveter to and thus the same reference numerals are used to indicate the like components. The detailed explanation therefor will be omitted.

o However, the tubular path 19 to the fourth port P4 is not changed.

With such a structure, since in use of the continuous riveter, the vacuum ejector 12 may be normally operated, a suction force S may always be applied through a core shaft pipe 13 to the jaw portion, the nose piece 32 at the tip end of the sleeve 29 and the core shaft collecting pipe 13. Accordingly, it is a matter of course to collect the core shaft R1 of the rivet R that has been cut in the caulking operation to the core shaft container case 9 through ao the core shaft collecting pipe 13 and it is possible to hold the rivet R so that the rivet R that has been inserted into the nose piece 32 from the tip end of the sleeve 29 is prevented from falling off. For this reason, according to this invention, it is possible to dispense with and omit the elastic ring 33 in the conventional continuous riveter.

Also, according to this invention, the core shaft collecting pipe 13 may be extended to be continuous with the outside of the cylinder 8 from the cover 10. With such a modification, the core shaft R1 that has been cut in the caulking operation may be discharged to the outside of the riveter through the core shaft collecting pipe 13. Accordingly, in this example, the core shaft container case 9 within the cylinder 8 may be dispensed with, the removal operation that should be performed when the core shaft to container case 9 is filled with the collected core shafts R1 may be unnecessary, and it is possible to completely automate (robotize) the continuous riveter.

Figs. 3 to 9 show the embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a bottom view, Fig. 4 is a view as viewed from the line A-A of Fig. 3, Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing a guide plate portion. The same reference numerals are used to the same components as those of the .:o.ei prior art for the explanation.

As shown in the drawings, the guide plate 43 extending from ao the container case 47 of the rivet feed section F is provided with a bent portion 43b having a direction of a vertical portion T3 of the rivet holder T which is a predetermined bend angle to a linear feed portion 43a having a predetermined length. A pressure plate 61 for depressing and guiding the vertical portion T3 of the riveter holder T is provided along the guide surface from the linear feed portion 43a to the bent portion 43b in the bent portion 43b of this guide plate 43. An end portion 61a of this pressure plate 61 on the side from which the rivet holder T is to be inserted is opened like a taper shape in an opening direction for facilitation of the entrance of the rivet holder T. The blind rivet holder T that is to be fed in a linear manner by means of this pressure plate 61 is guided positively from the linear feed portion 43a to the bent portion 43b to be bent.

As shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the guide plate 43 is to be used to guide the rivet holder T and is provided with the guide walls o 62, 62 so that the blind rivet holder T is moved without offsetting from the guide plate 43. Also, the elongated hole 44 where the feed claw 41 is reciprocatingly moved is opened in the linear feed portion 43a of the guide plate 43. The tip end of the feed claw 41 projects *o from this elongated hole 44. This feed claw 41 is coupled with the piston 39 of the tape air cylinder 37 as shown in Fig. 3 (in the a.

same manner as in Fig. 18) and is reciprocatingly moved by this 0 tape air cylinder 37. This feed claw 41 is engaged with the feed ao hole T4 of the rivet holder T as shown in Fig. 7 to feed one rivet holder T by the linear advance of the feed claw 41.

Figs. 7 to 9 show the step of the use condition in the guide plate 43 portion. First, one rivet holder T is fed from the condition shown in Fig. 7 to the condition shown in Fig. 8 by the feed claw 41. Then, since the rivet holder T enters below the pressure plate 61 and moves, the rivet holder is bent along the bent portion 43b of the guide plate 43. At this time, since the tip end 61a of the pressure plate 61 is opened like a taper shape, the vertical portion T3 of the rivet holder T is introduced and guided below the pressure plate 61 without fail. Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the core shaft R1 of the rivet R immediately after the bending is positioned to be identical with the axis of the sleeve 29 of the nose piston 28.

Then, the continuous riveter is operated to perform the "caulking" operation. At this time, since the rivet holder T is bent, as shown in Fig. 3, an interval L is formed between the upper and lower tabs TI, T2 of the linear feed portion 43a immediately before the bending and the upper and lower tabs T1, T2 of the bent oeooo portions 43b immediately after the bending through the linear feed portion 43a. Accordingly, as shown in Fig. 9, there is no fear that the upper and lower tabs TI, T2 immediately before bending and the lowering sleeve 29 are brought into contact with each other. As shown in Fig. 3, it is possible to decrease the distance between the rivets R as much as possible. Then, since the upper and lower tabs TI, T2 of the bent portion 43b no longer exist because the rivets R have already been used, there is no hindrance in lowering the sleeve 29 (see Fig. 9).

As a result, since the interval (pitch) of the rivets R in the rivet holder T may be reduced, it is possible to increase the loading number of the rivets R per a predetermined length of the rivet holder T and to increase the number of the rivets that may be received in the container case 47 more than that of the conventional case.

Note that in this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the positions of the upper and lower tabs T1 and T2 of the blind rivet holder T are offset and the rivets R are slanted at an angle a without intersecting them perpendicularly to the longitudinal direction to of the rivet holder T. However, it is possible to have a structure in which the rivets are not slanted at the angle d and intersect 2 with each other perpendicularly as shown in Fig. 24.

As described above in detail, the following advantages are ensured.

'19 According to the continuous riveter of this invention, since the vacuum ejector may always be operated, it is possible to always apply the suction force through the core shaft collecting pipe to the jaw portion, the nose piece at the tip end of the sleeve 29 and the core collecting pipe. Accordingly, it is a matter of **a S course to collect the core shaft of the rivet that has been cut in the caulking operation to the core shaft container case through the core shaft collecting pipe and it is possible to hold the rivet so that the rivet that has been inserted into the nose piece from the tip end of the sleeve is prevented from falling apart (fall-off).

Also, according to this invention, it is possible to omit the nose piece and to directly insert the rivet into the jaws from the tip end of the sleeve.

It is possible to simplify the structure by dispensing S with the elastic ring and the nose piece and to reduce the cost.

According to the continuous riveter of this invention, since the interval (pitch) of the rivets in the rivet holder may be reduced, the number of the rivets that may be received in the container case may be increased more than that of the conventional O case. Accordingly, the number of the replenishment of the rivet S holder in the working site is decreased so that the efficiency is enhanced.

Also, the length of the rivet holder (plastic elongated member) needed for mounting the same number of the rivets may be Sof 5 reduced to thereby decrease the cost.

Since the pressure plate for depressing and guiding the vertical portion of the blind rivet holder is provided at the bent .oe.o: portion of the guide plate, the rivet holder fed in a linear manner is positively bent along the bent portion of the guide plate to o* .O open the interval between the leading and trailing upper and lower tabs without fail.

Claims (3)

1. 2. A continuous riveter comprising a nose piston that is slidably inserted into a cylinder and to which a sleeve extending downwardly outside of the cylinder is fixed, and a jaw case piston that is slidably inserted into said cylinder and to which a cylindrical jaw case moving up and down within said sleeve is fixed, wherein a hole is formed at a tip end of said jaw case and a taper surface decreasing in diameter around the hole toward the tip end is formed in an inner circumferential surface of a hole at the tip end of said jaw case, a pair of jaws positioned on the go taper surface of said jaw case and biased downwardly through a jaw .I pusher by a spring are slidably inserted, a core shaft of a blind rivet inserted through the nose piece or directly from the outside is gripped in or released from a hole at a lower end of said sleeve, a core shaft collecting pipe is coupled with an upper end of said jaw case, a vacuum ejector in communication with a core shaft container case or the outside of the cylinder, for working on said core shaft collecting pipe is provided so that a core shaft of the blind rivet that has been cut upon caulking is sucked through the core shaft collecting pipe and discharged, and the vacuum ejector is caused to always work while being used so that the blind rivet that has been inserted into a portion of the jaws of the jaw case from the tip end of the sleeve of the nose piston is held by a suction force of said vacuum ejector, and further comprising a rivet feed section for guiding along a guide plate a container case in which a strip-shaped blind rivet holder on which blind rivets are mounted is wound and said blind rivet holder, said rivet feed section having a tape air cylinder for feeding one blind rivet mounted on said blind rivet holder, wherein said guide plate extending from said container case of said rivet feed section has a bent portion having a vertical portion of said blind rivet holder bent at a predetermined angle through a linear feed section having a predetermined length, a pressure plate for depressing and guiding the vertical to portion of the blind rivet holder along the guide surface from the linear feed section to the bent portion of the guide plate is provided so that the blind rivet holder fed in a linear manner by means of a feed claw that is reciprocatingly moved in a linear manner by said tape air cylinder is guided and bent by the bent portion from the linear feed section by means of the pressure plate, and said sleeve of said nose piston is located on an axis of a S core shaft of the blind rivet in upper and lower tabs immediately **SS*S after said blind rivet holder which passed through the linear feed section of said guide plate is bent at the bent portion, with an B e• Saxis of the sleeve being identified with said axis of the core shaft.
2. 3. A continuous riveter comprising a nose piston that is slidably inserted into a cylinder and to which a sleeve extending downwardly outside of the cylinder is fixed, and a jaw case piston that is slidably inserted into said cylinder and to which a cylindrical jaw case moving up and down within said sleeve is fixed, wherein a nose piece is provided at a tip end of said sleeve, an elastic ring for elastically holding a core shaft of a blind rivet slidably is mounted in a blind rivet insertion hole of said nose piece, a hole is formed at a tip end of said jaw case and a taper surface decreasing in diameter around the hole toward the tip end is formed in an inner circumferential surface of the hole at the tip end of said jaw case, a pair of jaws positioned on the taper 1O surface of said jaw case and biased downwardly through a jaw pusher by a spring are slidably inserted, the core shaft of the blind rivet inserted through the nose piece from the outside is gripped or released, a core shaft collecting pipe is coupled with an upper end of S.ooo. 15 said jaw case, a vacuum ejector in communication with a core shaft o container case or the outside of the cylinder for working on said sees core shaft collecting pipe is provided so that the core shaft of the blind rivet that has been cut upon caulking is sucked through the core shaft collecting pipe and discharged, and further comprising a rivet feed section for guiding along a guide plate a container case in which a strip-shaped blind rivet holder on which blind rivets are mounted is wound and said blind rivet holder, said rivet feed section having a tape air cylinder for feeding one blind rivet mounted on said blind rivet holder, wherein said guide plate extending from said container case of said rivet feed section has a bent portion having a vertical portion of said blind rivet holder bent at a predetermined angle through a linear feed section having a predetermined length, a pressure plate for depressing and guiding the vertical portion of the blind rivet holder along the guide surface from the linear feed section to the bent portion of the guide plate is provided so that the blind rivet holder fed in a linear manner by means of a feed claw that is reciprocatingly moved in a linear manner by said tape air cylinder is guided and bent by the bent portion from the linear feed section by means of the pressure plate, and said sleeve of said nose piston is located on an axis of a core shaft of the blind rivet in upper and lower tabs immediately after said blind rivet holder at the bent portion which passed through the linear feed section of said guide plate is bent at the bent portion, with an axis of the sleeve being identified with said axis of the core shaft.
3. 4. A continuous riveter substantially as described herein with reference to Figures 1 to 9, 24 and DATED this twenty-eighth day of August 2003 Opt Engineering Co., Ltd Patent Attorneys for the Applicant: SR.C RICE CO. oo.*